Issue - meetings

This report outlines the treasury management strategy for 2025/26, which includes prudential indicators for 2025/26 to 2027/28, the minimum revenue provision (MRP) policy, and the investment and borrowing strategy. It is a legislative requirement that these items be approved by Full Council.

Members discussed the following issues:

·                 The approved countries for investment on the list in 5.17 of the Treasury Management Strategy and proposed that Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Qatar be removed from the list to go to Full Council. USA was discussed and agreed it should remain for this year but requested that the Finance team provide advice on the potential impact of removing the USA from the list of approved countries for investment, for review in advance of the 2026/27 financial year and an assessment, from the Council’s Treasury advisors, on whether there are any bitcoin investment opportunities that might fit within the Council’s agreed risk profile for investments.

·                 It was highlighted that recommendation 2 should say section 5.17 and not section 7 which was included in the report. 

Following consideration of the report’s contents, the Group moved to consider the report recommendations, which were agreed as follows:

(1)            Recommend to Full Council that the treasury management strategy, which includes the following, be approved:

1.1     The treasury management strategy and the treasury prudential indicators contained therein;

1.2     The capital prudential indicators and limits;

1.3     The borrowing strategy contained within the treasury management statement;

1.4     The annual investment strategy;

1.5     The minimum revenue provision policy statement;

1.6     The treasury management practices.

(2)            Advise whether any countries should be considered for removal from the list of approved investable countries at section 5.17 of the treasury management strategy.